Rather than condemn Russia for its actions, Mr. Trump in the past has said he accepts the denial offered by President Vladimir V. Putin. Mr. Trump’s own aides readily acknowledge the reality that he does not. The “information warfare against the United States,” as one Russian organization called it, started in 2014, predating Mr. Trump’s entry into the race. But the indictment also determined that by 2016 the effort had evolved into an overt attempt to support Mr. Trump and disparage Mrs. Clinton. Previous legal filings and news accounts have documented multiple contacts between Mr. Trump’s team and Russians in 2016.

Source: International New York Times February 17, 2018 16:17 UTC